President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov, has signed a constitutional law amending the “Law on the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic,” officially recognizing the digital som as the country’s national currency. The law was passed by the Jogorku Kenesh on March 20, 2025, and aims to establish the legal and operational framework for the pilot launch of the digital som.

According to the new legal provisions, the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan will have exclusive rights to issue the digital som and to regulate its circulation. The currency will be issued in digital form and operate on a specialized technological platform managed by the National Bank.

Key features of the legislation include: – The digital som is a legal payment instrument on the territory of Kyrgyzstan; – It will circulate on a dedicated platform with its own tech and software infrastructure; – The National Bank is the sole operator of this platform; – The platform enables issuance, accounting, and distribution of digital som; – The Bank will define rules for digital payments for banks and supervised entities; – Cryptographic security features will be applied to ensure transaction safety and prevent fraud.

The implementation of this law marks a significant step forward in Kyrgyzstan’s transition to a digital economy and the modernization of its financial system.